Any bill that purports to decolonize Puerto Rico must include full information on the controlling language of Puerto Rico, what the transition to federal taxation would be, whether economically stifling maritime restrictions would be eliminated, and much more.
The Smithsonian should not participate in the dilution, distortion, or omission of the Young Lords and the Chicano and Mexican movements that are part of this exhibit.
No one gets to determine the Puerto Ricanness of the daughters and sons of Borikén, especially someone who has actively endorsed and supported white supremacists.
After 124 years of US colonialism, Puerto Ricans should not be cheated out of a fair and thorough self-determination process where they chart their future. The decolonization of Puerto Rico must include all details and implications up-front and extensive public hearings.
As President Biden remarks on democratic and human rights values, he should reflect on how the United States contradicts those values in its continued subjugation of Caribbean and Pacific Island peoples.
